More than its rich history, artists or cuisine, Armenia is probably best known for its carpets. While carpets are not synonymous with Armenian Christmas, they do represent something typically Armenian, so this month’s craft is to weave a carpet. This is a fun project for kids and also good for fine motor skills.

Materials
Scissors
Glue
Various types and colors of paper

Instructions
1. Take one sheet of paper and fold it in half.
2. Starting on the folded side, cut lines into the paper that are about 1 inch apart–depending on how thick you want the weave to be. Cut lines all the way down the folded side. Do not cut to the end of the paper but leave about one inch.
3. Open the paper–now you have your weaving canvas.
4. Cut other pieces of paper into long and one inch thick strips.
5. Have your child weave the paper strips under and over each line of the weaving canvas.
6. Once you are finished weaving, glue the end of each piece onto the back. You can trim off the excess length.
7. For an extra-fancy finish, mount the woven canvas onto a separate sheet of paper to frame it. Here’s an example: courtesy of www.firstpalette.com

© 2011 – 2013, Stephanie Meade. All rights reserved.

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